Presenting to hundreds of attendees, CCRES made waves at the 4th Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Symposium (APCRS) in Cebu, Philippines in early June.
With over 500 participants from more than 30 countries, the Symposium was a global meeting of the minds to discuss the theme “Coral Reefs of the Asia Pacific: Working together amidst contemporary challenges”.
The event was both a forum for deeper conversations about coral reefs, and also an opportunity for CCRES to spread the word of about our work and tools.
Prof Perry Aliño from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) chaired the APCRS Local Organizing Committee and hosted a session on emerging trends in coral reef management: MPA and coral reefs.
CCRES’ plenary speakers, Professor Jamal Jompa from Hasanuddin University (HU) and Professor Peter Mumby from The University of Queensland (UQ), addressed the entire hall of coral reef enthusiasts.
Professor Jompa talked on the management challenges that Indonesian coral reefs were facing from increasing stressors.
“We need to do something, a viral intervention, to save the reefs and also to reduce poverty,” said Professor Jompa.
CCRES stand at APCRS (K Follosco)
Professor Peter Mumby reported on his research exploring the difference between local and system resilience for coral reefs, remarking on the complexity of reefs.
“The beautiful thing about working on coral reefs – as you think you understand something, nature has a way of laughing at you,” said Professor Mumby.
Dr Vera Horigue (UP MSI) spoke about designing equitable marine reserve networks for fisheries management.
Abdi Tunggal Priyanto (UQ) delivered a session on using a Bayesian belief network to prioritise management actions on coral reefs threatened by multiple stressors, highlighting the CCRES tool Reef React.
CCRES’ involvement at the Symposium has helped garner more exposure for the project.
“Being deeply involved in the Symposium has been an incredible opportunity for us to talk to delegates, meet with partners and connect with others passionate about coral reefs,” said Kubi Follosco (UP MSI), who coordinated the CCRES trade stand with Lyn Riveral.
“Many delegates were interested in learning more about the tools, and signed up for our newsletter and more updates. The enthusiasm for the Project was inspiring.”
For more information contact Kubi Follosco.
